Skip to main content

A Legend of Zelda fan programmed his home to respond to an ocarina

Zelda Ocarina Controlled Home Automation - Zelda: Ocarina of Time | Sufficiently Advanced

Smart home technology is already worthy of admiration from the Jetsons. Automatic coffee makers, auto-locking doors, and lights that turn your living room into a rave — what’s not to love? But one man has taken smart home tech a step further to create any Legend of Zelda fan’s dream: A smart home controlled entirely by an ocarina.

Allen Pan, a freelance engineer, celebrated the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild by wiring his home to respond to specific songs played from an ocarina — more specifically, the iconic Ocarina of Time from the beloved Nintendo 64 classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

The song Zelda’s Lullaby unlocks his front door, Sun’s Song turns on his smart lights, and the Bolero of Fire turns on his fireplace. Pan has used almost every one of the songs in the game in some way or another: Epona’s Song unlocks his car doors; Song of Storms turns on his humidifier. He even built a personalized caller to help him find his phone. All he has to do is play Saria’s Song.

All of these nerdy-but-awesome features were done with more than just standard smart home technology. Pan used a Raspberry Pi, a microphone, and Wi-Fi modules to create the listening aspect of the system. A variety of switches and toggles were used to manually turn on appliances throughout the home.

This was not Pan’s first rodeo in creating homages to his favorite fandoms. On Sufficiently Advanced, his YouTube channel, he has created everything from real-life laser swords to working Wonder Woman gauntlets.

The full video of his Zelda-inspired smart home is available on YouTube. At the time of writing, just shy of 3 million people have watched it. If you’re interested in building a system like this of your own, it will take work. A basic smart home setup is a good way to learn and can teach the basics of what will be needed to Zelda up your home.

While not feasible for everyone with a smart home, Pan’s ocarina-controlled home is the kind of thing Zelda fans dream of.

Editors' Recommendations

Patrick Hearn
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
How (and where) to trade Poes in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Poes sit near a waterfall in The Legend of Zelda: tears of the Kingdom.

It might take place in the same Hyrule as Breath of the Wild, but Tears of the Kingdom's landscape is radically different from its predecessor. Along with massive floating islands in the sky, there's a sprawling underworld to explore that's filled with secrets to discover and abilities to unlock. One such secret is Poes, which take a very different form than in past Zelda games -- instead of serving as an enemy, they're now an alternate form of currency.

Interested in learning more about where to trade Poes in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and how to find them? Here's everything you need to know about these unique collectibles.
What are Poes in Tears of the Kingdom?
When you first dive into Hyrule's underground area, you'll probably notice tons of blue-and-white wisps scattered around the surface in patches. Those wisps are Tears of the Kingdom's version of Poes. Yes, the classic enemy is now a simple item that you can collect.

Read more
Echo Hub vs. Echo Show 15: Which is the best smart home gadget?
Amazon Fire TV on Echo Show 15.

The Echo Hub might look like a smart display, but it actually falls into a category of smart home products known as smart control panels. Unlike smart displays, which are jack-of-all-trades entertainment hubs, control panels are designed to give you enhanced control over the rest of your smart home. That's an important distinction, and it's one of the main differences between the Echo Hub and Echo Show 15.

But is the Echo Hub or Echo Show 15 better for your smart home? Here's everything you need to know before making a purchase.
Pricing and design

Read more
How to use the Google Home app on a computer
Google Home icon on home screen.

Google Home makes it easy to manage all your smart devices through your smartphone or tablet. Giving you access to your camera feeds, smart thermostat, smart lights, and more, Google Home is one of the most popular smart home platforms on the market. But while there's a lot to love about Google Home, it lacks full PC support. However, that's slowly starting to change – here's a look at how to use the Google Home app on your PC and control your devices from a larger display.
Can you use the Google Home app on a PC?
Google Home doesn't have a PC app, but it does have a website. Unfortunately, Google notes that Google Home for web is in Public Preview, meaning not all features are available and you may encounter glitches during use. The website is seeing constant updates, so there's a good chance it'll work just as well as the mobile apps in the future. Be sure to check it out regularly to see what's been added.

There are a few other workarounds you can implement to get Google Home on your PC. Read on to learn about the alternatives.
Use Google Home through your Chromebook

Read more